New Mix: Shakey Graves, The War On Drugs, The Mountain Goats, More
Clockwise from upper left: Shakey Graves, Trio Mediaeval, The Mountain Goats, Mr. Mitch, The War On Drugs, Elliot Moss, GAS Courtesy of the artists hide caption
For this week's show, Bob Boilen and I throw open the studio door to welcome a parade of guests from the NPR Music team, each sharing their favorite April releases. This includes Jake Witz, one of our fabulous Spring interns, who has some relatively restrained music from U.K. grime artist Mr. Mitch. We're also joined by Rachel Horn, who brought us some funktacular beats from Orgone; Viking's Choice curator Lars Gotrich has surprising new cuts from The Mountain Goats and ambient artist GAS; and NPR classical guru Tom Huizenga of Deceptive Cadence shares a gorgeous Icelandic hymn from Trio Mediaeval.
Oh, Bob and I have our own picks, too — his a spare and woozy acoustic cut from Shakey Graves; mine some electronic soul from Elliot Moss (think James Blake). Once Bob's out of the studio I've also got a bonus cut from The War On Drugs — an epic, mood-shifting guitar jam. -- Robin Hilton
Songs Featured On This Episode
Shakey Graves
- Song: Nobody's Fool
- from Nobody's Fool EP
Shakey Graves is otherwise known as Alejandro Rose-Garcia, a singer and guitarist originally from Austin, Texas who makes foot-stomping, bluesy folk music, though "Nobody's Fool" is a quieter, more introspective cut. He says the song is, in part, about the pitfalls and pedestals of life. "I have no standard religion or any reason to be particularly assured of anything in life. So when I say, 'Whether you like it or not you've been chosen by God,' I quickly follow it with, 'But you're nobody's fool,' because if there is anything constant in my heart and mind it's the duality of blind faith in a greater purpose, and the just-as-likely truth that our existence boils down to a fantastic biological drama."
Elliot Moss
- Song: 99
- from Boomerang EP
Elliot Moss is a young singer with a stunning voice. His latest EP called Boomerang recalls the work of James Blake, with profoundly soulful vocals set against spare electronics and polyrhythms.
Orgone
- Song: I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
- from (Vinyl Single)
Orgone is a retro-funk group from Los Angeles. The band's latest cut, "I Sold My Heart To the Junkman," released as a 7" single, is a cover of a 1940s big-band jazz hit from Etta Jones. In Orgone's hands, however, it becomes an old-school funk number.
The Mountain Goats
- Song: Rain In Soho
- from Goths
On its latest full-length, The Mountain Goats trade guitars for piano and, on this song, the Nashville Symphony Chorus. Goths is out May 19 on Merge Records.
GAS
- Song: Narkopop No. 4
- from Narkopop
GAS is one of the many musical projects of German electronic composer Wolfgang Voigt. His latest album, Narkopop, is an ethereal mix of airy, ambient soundscapes.
Trio Mediaeval
- Song: Morgunstjarna
- from Rimur
Trio Mediaeval is a vocal group from Norway known for singing both ancient and contemporary music. Here, the group offers a new interpretation, complete with a trumpet part, of a 17th-century Icelandic hymn.
The War On Drugs
- Song: Thinking Of A Place
- from (Single)
The War On Drugs is the musical project of Philadelphia-based artist Adam Granduciel. This epic new single, released for Record Store Day, is an eleven-minute reflection on times gone by.